Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Doing the Once Impossible

The longer I homeschool (and this is only our second year!), the more I believe that parents really can teach their children at home. Huh? Of course you can or you wouldn't be.... What I mean is...we can do more than just teach them reading, math, science, history, etc. I truly believe that parents can teach their children far more than they realize.

One of the results of public compulsory education is that we have lost the art of teaching our children at home. For the most part, anyway. Years and years ago there was no question who would teach the children---their mom and dad would! When they were older, they might apprentice with another trusted adult to learn a skill, but education truly began in the home.

We now have parents convinced that their 2 year old MUST go to preschool or else. How did we get here?

I'm getting on a soapbox. Sorry. I remember reading a debate about whether homeschool parents were allowed to teach driver's ed to their kid or did they have to enroll them in the classes? If we can drive, and we can get our hands on a driver's booklet from the department of public safety, then I feel sure we can teach our daughters to drive.

But music lessons? No way. I can't read a note of music! I told myself, "I will just have to sign the girls up for music lessons and pay a lot of money for them to learn. I can't teach music, because that is something I don't know about."

Well. I mentioned that a very kind man from our church is teaching Sweetheart to play the recorder. She had a lesson with him last week, but it wasn't really enough to leave her knowing how to DO anything with her new instrument. So, she's frustrated.

I began nosing around the internet and found a wealth of information on learning to play the recorder. Certainly I cannot do more than our friend who plays the recorder beautifully, but I can teach her something. I have the added benefit of knowing her learning style. So, I'm printing off pictures of what her hands should look like when making certain notes. I found an online tutorial complete with pictures and a movie and sound clips. I can teach some music to my girls.

It's very freeing to realize that you don't have to always depend on "the experts." Wonder what else we can learn around here?

11 comments:

See, THIS kind of encouragement is exactly what I needed to hear right now. There's no one in my immediate circle who can provide what you just did: confidence that I really CAN do this homeschool thing. I'm really not down on blogging, just looking for balanced perspective. You gave me that here today.

Whenever I am asked about how I will teach my boys (insert some advanced high school course here), I reply that by the time we are there, I'm certain the resources will be available. The explosion of options for homeschoolers is incredible. Combined with just using plain old-fashioned common sense and resources of friends and networking, I don't see "obstacles" as reasons not to homeschool. Learning is for life.

Recorders are inexpensive, I think, so...why not learn to play along with her?

I think children are even more willing to make learning a lifestyle if they see their parent doing it. For instance, my kids see me stretching my limited formal experience to sing with the local Bach choir, and I even torture everyone as I practice the piano! (Completely self taught.) I'll never do what Fifi can do on it, but I learn enough to enjoy the pleasure of a new skill.